Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew joins Christian leaders to issue climate change appeal

·

The world’s top Christian leaders have joined forces to issue a stark warning that climate change is threatening the future of the planet. 

Orthodox leader Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew joined Pope Francis and archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to issue their first-ever joint statement. 

“We must decide what kind of world we want to leave to future generations,” the three clerics write in the statement.

“The extreme weather and natural disasters of recent months reveal afresh to us with great force and at great human cost that climate change is not only a future challenge, but an immediate and urgent matter of survival.” 

They agree that climate change and global warming are at least partially caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. 

“This is the first time that the three of us feel compelled to address together the urgency of environmental sustainability, its impact on persistent poverty, and the importance of global cooperation,” they wrote.

“We stand before a harsh justice: biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and climate change are the inevitable consequences of our actions, since we have greedily consumed more of the earth’s resources than the planet can endure,” the message said.

The Pope has frequently cited Bartholomew’s teachings on the environment in his encyclical from 2015. 

The statement follows Europe’s warmest summer on record this year, including the record-breaking heatwave which fuelled Greece’s wildfires, in the lead up to the UN climate summit COP26 later this year. 

The Pope is expected to attend the summit, while Bartholomew’s office hasn’t yet responded to an email about his plans to attend the conference, according to Ekathimerini. 

Source: Ekathimerini, The Guardian

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From crisis to compassion: Timos Roussos and his family’s mercy mission in war-torn Cyprus

When Turkish troops landed on Cyprus on 20 July 1974, six-year-old Timos Roussos was sitting on the floor of his family’s home in Lemesos.

A granddaughter returns: Georgia Georgiou retraces her yiayia’s occupied village in Cyprus

When Georgia Georgiou handed over her Cypriot ID at the border checkpoint to cross into occupied northern Cyprus, she felt an ache.

‘You never get over it’: A childhood shattered by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

On a warm July morning in 1974, 10-year-old Anastasia Di Loreto (née Karatzia) was jolted awake by the sound of bombs falling on Kyrenia.

Cyprus: The paradox of tolerance and impunity for Turkey

The lack of a unified, systematic and practical strategy on the part of Greece has led the Cyprus crisis into national disarray.

Lost homes and lingering hope: Greek-Cypriots reflect on Turkish invasion and its aftermath

From hidden stories to haunting memories, two Greek-Cypriot men share what it means to carry the burden of Cyprus’ past.

You May Also Like

EU deploys 200 firefighters to Greece ahead of wildfire season

More than 200 firefighters provided by European Union countries will be soon deployed to Greece ahead of the wildfire season.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announces easing of COVID-19 restrictions

The NSW Government is taking a staged and flexible approach to the easing of restrictions from Friday, February 18.

Erdogan awards Greek Ambassador and rescuers for earthquake assistance

Greece's Ambassador to Turkey and Greek rescuers were awarded by Turkish President Erdogan for their contribution to earthquake efforts.